The next day, Xiang Nan arrived at a spot on the island known as Wild‑Boar Forest.
This was also the place in the story where Gon had been attacked by a foxbear.
Xiang Nan strolled alone through the woods. Guided by a faint "scent," he pushed aside drooping weeds and branches until, at last, he found Gon.
At that moment, Gon was feeding the young foxbear that had survived Kite's cull, using the food he had brought from home.
Gon had adopted the little foxbear—though of course he couldn't take it back to the house. Still, feeding a wild beast had been permitted by Mito.
Hearing footsteps, the foxbear instantly bristled and let out a low growl in Xiang Nan's direction, while Gon turned, rose to his feet, calmed the cub, and curiously sized up the unfamiliar face approaching.
"So you're Gon—Ging's son," Xiang Nan said with a slight smile.
Gon blinked and gave Xiang Nan a polite bow.
Then, as if remembering something, he let out an "Ah!"—"Mister, are you the guest Aunt Mito mentioned?"
"Mister…?" Xiang Nan chuckled.
"Are you sightseeing on Whale Island? If you have time, I can be your guide and show you around," Gon offered enthusiastically.
"No need. I only heard that you want to take the Hunter Exam, so I came to meet you. As it happens, I'm signing up too; when the time comes, we can travel together." Xiang Nan sat down right where he was. The young foxbear, now somewhat soothed by Gon, had mostly settled down, though it still glared at Xiang Nan, ready to attack at any moment.
"The Hunter Exam, huh?" Gon's eyes flickered at the words.
"Strange… Don't mind him, mister. He won't bite. It's just that strangers are rare here, so he's a little scared." Gon glanced at the foxbear, puzzled—although the cub was shy, it had never bared its fangs at anyone . Stranger still, it had stopped eating, instead clamping its teeth around his shoe—as if it wanted him to stay away from this man.
Xiang Nan looked at the cub too, surprised by its reaction. They say fierce beasts can sense a person's intentions toward animals; evidently, something about Xiang Nan's "scent" filled the little foxbear with terror and discomfort.
After a moment, when Gon still hadn't understood, the foxbear simply bolted.
"Foxbears are notoriously hard to tame, but you seem to get along well with this one," Xiang Nan joked.
"Well, he's still small—and he doesn't have a mother, so…" Gon scratched his head and laughed.
The wilder the animal, the more naturally it warms to someone truly gifted; that tells you more than the friendliness of a house pet or stray. Xiang Nan sized Gon up. The boy's eyes were remarkably clear, completely untainted; his hair was stiff and, though not long, untidily spiked. Even on first meeting he gave off a natural warmth, his presence calm and gentle.
Xiang Nan had never met Ging Freecss in person, but from Gon's features he could imagine what the father looked like.
What really caught Xiang Nan's attention was that, ever since he entered this forest, even with Nen‑user senses he might not have found Gon by perception alone. The kid's aura seemed to blend into the entire forest—as though he were part of the land itself.
That feeling reminded Xiang Nan of advanced Nen training. His own aura was strong, yet he still couldn't perceive the life‑force of nature, the "natural Nen"—but Gon, in his current state, seemed close to doing so instinctively, though he knew nothing of Hunters or Nen techniques yet. If the boy were shown the path, he might reach in months what Netero had taken years of seclusion to grasp. Follow current novels on novel{f}ire.net
The story had barely begun, yet in some ways Gon already far outstripped Xiang Nan, a competent Nen user. A moment ago Xiang Nan had deliberately masked his presence to test him. Sure enough, Gon noticed him first—faster even than the foxbear's animal instincts. Only after being detected did Xiang Nan make his footsteps audible.
"A real prodigy," Xiang Nan thought.
"You don't seem curious that I know you're Ging's son," he said aloud.
"Haha… I guess a lot of people know about me. I'm not sure why everyone cares so much," Gon chuckled, scratching the back of his head, a little embarrassed. He meant, of course, the players who had been coming ashore.
"Aren't you interested in your father? Some of those newcomers must have mentioned him."
"They have," Gon admitted, "but rather than listen to second‑hand stories, I'd rather go and find out for myself."
Xiang Nan nodded at that.
"I heard about your wager with Mito. I wish you luck."
At the mention of business, Gon's expression grew a shade more solemn, though he didn't say anything grandiose.
Then Xiang Nan turned and left.
As Gon watched him go, his gaze drifted to the branches overhead. A moment ago several chipmunks had been there—little companions of his, friendly enough to climb onto his head and shoulders to play. But they had been chattering nonstop since the "uncle" appeared. Gon understood their calls: warnings of danger, the way they cried only when faced with a predator. He thought of the foxbear's reaction too. He had never seen anything like it.
"Is that man really so frightening?" Gon wondered. Clearly, the animals disliked him.
Xiang Nan ambled down the mountain path toward the town at the foot of the hill.
Bloodlines truly matter, he mused. Even a brief encounter had left a deep impression of Gon, though Xiang Nan hadn't come with any special expectations. The stronger one's own power, the more clearly one sensed the brilliance of Gon's unconscious talent. Ordinary people might just think he was a nice kid, but to certain "special" eyes, that talent was dazzling—no wonder Hisoka was so intrigued, and Biscuit so "fond" of him.
In the anime worlds Xiang Nan knew, many protagonists carried rare bloodlines or backgrounds. That might be mere setting, but meeting one in real life, the protagonist's "halo" was overwhelming.
"Some people start so far ahead on the track that no amount of effort can close the gap—not for other players, or even for the natives and story characters in this world," he murmured with a smile.
Extraordinary talent is a blessing, but talent is talent; strength is strength. How much of it can be tapped—or wasted—depends on future growth. Although Hunter × Hunter's story is unfinished and covers only part of the tale, in the canonical timeline Gon ultimately "loses his Nen" and becomes an ordinary person. "As a protagonist… you're part of this world's balance of power. If possible," Xiang Nan thought, "it'd be best if you never have to exit the stage."
That, too, was one reason he had come to meet Gon.